Pop DNA

This week in our To All the Boys discussion, we look at how ideas and themes in the films are reflected in the real world. We research some other works and the life of Jenny Han, author of the books the films are based on, as well as how the idea of "soulmates" is expressed in literature and pop culture, especially teen romcoms. How have Han's experiences shaped her stories, and her role in the adaptations of her stories, and how has the idea of one perfect soul mate for everyone impacted how we view romance and romantic stories?

Further reading:

Interview with Jenny Han about her role as showrunner on The Summer I Turned Pretty

A Brief History of Soul Mates in literature and culture

Love letters and romance novels are two of the most prominent genres of writing that inform our cultural ideas about love and romance, and both feature prominently in To All the Boys. Lara Jean is an avid romance reader, and even has fantasies inspired by common romance novel tropes, and of course the entire premise of the first book and movie revolves around Lara Jean's love letters. 

This week we dive into both of these forms of writing, the history behind them, how society has viewed them (and those who read and write these genres), and how we see these attitudes reflected and subverted in To All the Boys. It's a perfect discussion for Valentine's (or Galentine's) Day!

Further reading:

History of Love Letters

Why we love the fake dating trope

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All February long we're talking about our favorite Netflix teen romcom movie series, To All the Boys I've Loved Before (sorry, Kissing Booth)! In part one we talk about our initial experiences with the movies, the source of comfort they were during quarantine, and get into the topics we plan to discuss in more depth throughout the month. Themes include:

We also decided to take our customary quiz early, and this one tells us which To All the Boys boy is our soulmate. You can take it along with us here.

We wrap up our Stranger Things discussion with a look at some of the literary inspirations for the show, such as the work of Stephen King and the Choose Your Own Adventure children's book series, as well as the interweaving of Dungeons and Dragons-style narrative storytelling with the ability for players to choose their own path. 

We also take the quiz to find out which characters we are, and you can take it here.

Links:

Fandom Wiki page on all the influences and references in Stranger Things

Article on the literary sensibility of the show

Exploring the agency of women in Dungeons and Dragons

Part 2 of our Stranger Things discussion dives into the DND lore, especially the monsters (because that's Erin's brand), from which the show draws inspiration (or even straight-up copies, it's a little murky). We also look at Stranger Things as a piece of nostalgia media, and discuss why viewing the past through such a rosy lens can be dangerous, especially when considering how the political and social messaging reads to a modern audience.

For further reading:

Every Dungeons and Dragons Monster Referenced

More about the Demogorgon

The Parks and Rec clip we referenced

More about Retromarketing and Pseudo-Nostalgia

Stranger Things is Copaganda

“Stranger Things and the Danger of Nostalgia” video essay by James Somerton

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We are launching a three-part series dissecting your favorite 1980s-nostalgia-bait Netflix series (that Erin loves and Rhonda... doesn't love), Stranger Things! 

In this first part, we look at the unique placement of Stranger Things and its fandom within main stream pop culture. From the show's homages to DND and sci-fi/horror fans, to the recent evolution in the online fandom through social media platforms like TikTok. Yes, we're talking about the "Chrissy, Wake Up" TikTok remix song. 

We also give a very brief snapshot of other topics we want to explore in this series, like culture and politics of the 1980s, the dangers of nostalgia, and the fantasy creatures and magical powers depicted in the show.

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Happy New Year! In this bonus episode we discuss trends we noticed in the media of 2022, as well as themes and through lines that emerged in our favorite works. From the more abstract like exploring characters' vulnerability as a strength, to themes that are almost genres in themselves, like Rich People Nonsense™. We also look ahead to things we're excited to watch in 2023, and give a quick peek at what's on the itinerary for Pop DNA this year!

Erin's Best of 2022:

Rhonda's Best of 2022:

Books:

Anticipated 2023 movies according to Rotten Tomatoes, and TV according to Entertainment Weekly

As we wrap up our final Narnia episode we're asking the big questions: Was C. S. Lewis sexist? Or can we draw any feminist or female-empowerment messages from his work? What does feminism even look like in the context of a fantasy world where children go into battle with talking animals?

We also look specifically at The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a World War 2 story, exploring the story an as allegory for what was happening in the "real" world at the time it takes place.

And of course we took a quiz to find out which Pevensie kids we are, and you can take it here.

Check out The Feminine Ethos in C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia by Monika Hilder.

Follow us on Instagram, and join us in early January for our Best of 2022 Bonus!

This week on our Narnia journey we are diving in to all things magic. We discuss the differences between hard and soft magic systems, how magic is expressed in the world of Narnia, and how it compares to the magic in other fictional worlds. We also look at Narnia as a touchstone of fantasy fiction, its relationship with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and its influence on modern fantasy works like Star Wars and Lev Grossman's book series The Magicians.

This month we are talking about the best children's fantasy book series, The Chronicles of Narnia (and you can fight us on that). For our first glimpse into the wardrobe we share our first experiences with the series, favorite fan theories, and thoughts on various adaptations. We also definitively decide which order the books should be read, and preview the topics we plan to explore in the next two weeks of the series. Get your hot cocoa and your Turkish Delight, kick back, and get ready to go to Narnia with us!

Recommended Reading:

Clarification on Lewis' "official" reading order

Everything we know about the upcoming Netflix adaptations

Captain Hook fan theory